THE stakes will be high for Sunday’s 214th Merseyside derby – with the losers likely to be languishing in the relegation zone.

THE stakes will be high for Sunday’s 214th Merseyside derby – with the losers likely to be languishing in the relegation zone.

But then the stakes have always been high for Merseyside’s local set-to – as the official Everton minutes ahead of the very first Merseyside derby match reveal.

Before Everton faced neighbours Liverpool for the very first time on October 13 1894, their players were offered an incentive they could hardly ignore . . . a silk hat!

Everton’s club minute books, now part of the remarkable Everton Collection, revealed that “Liverpool match – Resolved each player shall have a silk hat bonus, value 20 shillings, in addition to their bonus.”

A silk hat was clearly a sought after item in Victorian England, because Everton triumphed 3-0 in the first league derby.

The importance of this first meeting was reflected in the preparations undertaken by both teams; Liverpool spent the week in training at Hightown, Everton spent theirs at home with rigorous coaching.

A crowd of 44,000 packed into Goodison Park for the historic match.

And in front of the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Everton opened the scoring after 10 minutes. An Everton free-kick was floated over by Billy Stewart and found McInnes in clear space.

McInnes helped Everton score their second, supplying Alex Latta with a pass from which he couldn’t miss.

Everton had a further goal disallowed for an infringement, but with time running out and the light fading, Everton scored their third goal with a deflected shot from John Bell – hats off to Everton!

While the 1894 clash was the first official league derby, there was an Everton v Liverpool clash played at Anfield seven years earlier – with a ticket for the historic clash also part of the Everton Collection.

There was a ‘Liverpool’ team in existence long before the present-day Liverpool Football Club (founded in 1892).

This team played their games at Walton Stiles and in the first home game of the 1882/83 season were trounced 10-1 by Blackburn Rovers in front of 900 spectators. But the ‘Liverpool’ team which played at Anfield on May 23 1885 was a collection of Merseyside footballers made up from Stanley FC, Liverpool Ramblers, Bootle and Cambrian for the purpose of raising funds for Stanley Hospital.

Councillor John Houlding, then president of Everton, kicked off the match and the following Monday’s Daily Post reported: “Councillor John Houlding, who has from the time the Stanley Hospital was first suggested, shown a deep interest in the institution, has given a practical illustration of how in some measure the funds of the hospital can be assisted by a section of the public without any great pecuniary sacrifice on their part.”

Everton trailed 2-0 in a frantic affair before rallying to win 4-3.

Everton played many benefit matches with proceeds donated to the hospital. Part of the club’s rent of the Anfield ground was also a small donation to Stanley Hospital, in the name of Joseph Orrell.

“Everlution: The Everton Collection exhibition” is now open in the Museum of Museums at The Trafford Centre.

The exhibition was previously held in Liverpool Central Library and with over 30,000 visitors, proved to be the most popular exhibition ever staged in Central Library.

The Collection, including the fascinating Minute Books, can also be viewed online at www.everton collection.org.uk.

Other exhibitions in the Museum of Museums include the National Football Museum’s FA Cup exhibition, showing the oldest existing FA Cup trophy (1896-1910).